enabled, in peace and security, to render to God that which belongs to God, and to Cæsar what is Cæsar's; as we do protest before God and his holy angels, that we ever have had, and will ever have the same for our aim. And to the end that those things, before expressed, may stand firm and inviolable, we humbly supplicate his most Christian majesty, that he will be pleased to procure unto us this favour from our prince, that all may be put into the form of a transaction, and confirmed, not only by the chamber of Turin, but also in that of Chambery, and that many original copies may be drawn, and delivered into the hands of those to whom it shall appertain."

This affecting document was delivered into the hands of Monsieur de Bais, the French minister, and by him transmitted to his royal master, who, upon receipt of it, expressed great concern for the deplorable condition of the poor Waldenses, but his kind intentions towards them were entirely frustrated by some malignant spirits near the throne. "But, so it happened," says Sir Samuel Morland, "that from this time forward, the leading men in the court of Savoy, have used their best endeavours to lay heavier loads on their backs, than ever they had hitherto done. For in their orders of April 20th, and October 6, 1656, and August 24, 1657, they summoned the poor people to pay their taxes for the year 1655, contrary to the treaty, while they exempted the Catholics from the said taxes: and when they appeal to the Duke, October 6, 1657, on the hardship of their case, they were, among other things, absolutely prohibited the exercise of their public worship in San Giovanni." It would be endless to repeat all the edicts, orders, and injunctions that were issued against them after the cruel patent in 1655, with all their consequent grievances: and it is painful to dwell upon so melancholy a subject. Our

countryman, Sir Samuel Morland, remained among them until the summer of 1658, at which time he thus affectingly closes his narrative. "It is my misfortune that I am compelled to leave these people where I found them, among the potsherds, with sackcloth and ashes spread under them, and lifting up their voice with weeping, in the words of Job- Have pity on us, have pity on us, O ye our friends, for the hand of God hath touched us.'-To this very day they labour under most heavy burdens, which are laid upon them by their rigid task-masters of the church of Rome-forbidding them all kind of traffic for their subsistence-robbing them of their goods and estates-banishing the pastors of their flocks, that the wolves may the more readily devour the sheep-violating the young women and maidens-murdering the most innocent as they peaceably pass along the highways— by cruel mockings and revilings-by continual threats of another massacre, sevenfold more bloody, if possible, than the former. To all which, I must add that, notwithstanding the liberal supplies that have been sent them from England and other places, yet so great is the number of these hungry creatures, and so grievous are the oppressions of their Popish enemies, who lie in wait to bereave them of whatever is given them, snatching at almost every morsel that goes into their mouths, that even to this day, some of them are almost ready to eat their own flesh for want of bread. Their miseries are more grievous than words can express-they have no ' grapes in their vineyards-no cattle in their fields-no herds in their stalls-no corn in their granaries-no meal in their barrel-no oil in their cruse.' The stock that was gathered for them by the people of this and other countries is fast consuming, and when that is spent, they must inevitably perish, unless God, who turns the hearts

of princes as the rivers of water,' incline the heart of their prince to take pity on his poor, harmless, and faithful subjects." *

SECTION VII.

History of the Waldenses continued; including a narrative of the sanguinary proceedings of the Catholics against them in Poland.

A. D. 1658.

THE return of Sir Samuel Morland from his mission to the court of Turin, gave him an opportunity of laying before the English government a minute and circumstantial explanation of the state of the Waldenses in Piedmont, at the time of his departure in 1658. The substance of this account the reader has already seen, in the close of the last section, and its truth and accuracy are further ascertained by a letter, bearing date 30th of November, 1657, from the four Swiss commissioners who, two years before, had been engaged in negociating the treaty of Pignerol. This letter is addressed to Monsieur de Servient, ambassador of the French king, who was present at the ratification of the treaty, and, as it would seem, had taken a considerable interest therein. The Swiss commissioners complain that the conditions of the treaty were grossly violated by the adversaries of the Waldenses; that interpretations were put upon various clauses contained in it, the reverse of what they were

• Morland's Churches of Piedmont, p. 682-708.

intended to bear; and, in short, that the situation in which these poor people were now placed, called loudly for the cognizance and interference of the court of France, which stood pledged to see the conditions of the treaty punctually fulfilled. They, in particular, notice the lawless procedure of the military towards the Waldenses, in plundering them of their fruits, which they carried away without the least ceremony, committing robberies in their houses, and spoiling them of their goods-that "they were laden with reproaches and injuries, beaten and wounded; the virtue of their females attempted, with numerous other outrages, altogether inexcusable." "That several persons who had been sent to settle among them in the capacity of pastors and teachers, from their sister churches in Dauphiny, had been seized and banished out of the country, on the ground that they were not natives, and that therefore the conditions of the treaty did not extend to them-and that, in particular, one of their pastors who had exercised the holy ministry among them for thirty years, together with one Mr. Arnold, a physician, had been turned out and banished, so that by these and similar means many churches and congregations were at once deprived of the food of their souls and comfort of their bodies. After enumerating a long catalogue of similar grievances, they say, "Now as these things have happened to our friends and associates in religion, so palpably contrary to our expectation, our hearts are so much the more sensibly affected by it, both because we were present in the name of our lords and superiors at the negociating of the treaty, and because we are personally interested therein." They, therefore, supplicate his excellency to interpose his mediation for the good of their friends, and for his own interest and honour's sake; and to insist that the spirit and meaning of the treaty be in future fully and abso

lutely observed. The subject was also taken up by the English government, as appears by the following letters, both of which bear date May 26, 1658.

HIS HIGHNESS THE LORD PROTECTOR TO THE KING OF FRANCE.

MOST SERENE AND MOST POTENT KING!

Your majesty may remember, that while the treaty was going on about remedying the alliance between usan alliance that has now happily commenced, as the many advantages resulting to both nations, and the numerous inconveniences which arise from it to our common enemies, abundantly shew-the dreadful slaughter of the Waldenses took place; and that, with the utmost affection and humanity, we recommended the case of those afflicted and destitute people to your clemency and protection.

We are far from thinking that your majesty has been wanting in the exercise of your influence and authority with the Duke of Savoy to promote so pious and humane an object and as for our part, we, and many other princes and states, have not failed to interpose by embassies, letters, and entreaties. After a most inhuman slaughter of persons of both sexes, and of every age, a peace was, at last, concluded, or rather a more concealed course of hostility, under the disguise of peace.* The

It may not be improper in this place to correct a very inaccurate statement of this matter which appears in Neal's History of the Puritaus, Vol. IV. ch. iii. under the year 1655. Referring to the interference of the Protector with the Duke Savoy, it is said, upon the authority of Bishop Burnet, "Upon this the persecution immediately ceased; the duke recalled his army out of the vallies, and restored their goods; the poor people returned to their houses, and recovered all their ancient rights ant